Farmers’ groups have once again alleged that irregularities have been followed in onion procurement under the centre’s price stabilisation scheme. Not only this, they have demanded immediate payment of pending dues and a transparent white paper process.
Notably, the scheme had set a target of procuring 3 lakh tonnes of onions via nodal agencies NAFED and NCCF. But farmers alleged that farmer-producer companies (FPCs), involved in the onion procurement, are conducting malpractices, whereas payments worth around ₹200 crore are pending. Moreover, many farmers’ organisations claimed that farmers have not received money for onions procured months ago.
Responding to these complaints, a vigilance squad has been sent to Nashik for the third time in recent months to examine the allegations. According to the sources, the team visited on Saturday and will continue its checks over the next few days.
What did the Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana leader say?
Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana leader and former MP Raju Shetti, who recently met Union Agriculture Secretary Devesh Chaturvedi in New Delhi, demanded for early release of farmers’ dues along with interest. Further, he also requested the government to come clean on the procurement process, saying that the government must publish a white paper on the irregularities. In addition, he has submitted representations to PM Narendra Modi and Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. Apart from this, Swatantra Bharat Party president Anil Ghanwat appealed to the government not to offload buffer stock onions in September. He asserted that an onion shortage is more likely in October, and premature release could further destabilise the market.
Farmer organisations alleged that the rush to sell buffer stock onions is a simple effort to mask procurement failure. They are afraid that hasty measures may harm both growers and consumers if supply management is not aligned with real market conditions.